Pandora’s POV
The getaway had started like a dream. The resort was a paradise, and every one of my demands was met to the letter. I basked in the luxury, but it was Rolan who truly made this escape unforgettable.
Our nights were filled with wild passion, and the world outside melted away as he held me close. There was something freeing about our time together, an unspoken agreement that we were both using this break to shed the burdens we carried.
After an afternoon of lounging and indulging in each other, I felt a familiar restlessness stir within me. I wanted to feel the earth beneath my feet, to breathe in the crisp air of the forest that surrounded the resort.
As I stretched my limbs, I turned to Rolan, a soft smile dancing on my lips. “I think I’ll take a little stroll in the forest,” I said, my voice teasingly light.
Rolan looked up from the chaise lounge, his brows furrowing slightly. “I’ll come with you,” he insisted, his tone protective.
I shook my head, playfully swatting his arm. “I appreciate it, but I’d like to take in the view alone. Just a little time for myself.”
His eyes darkened with concern. “Pandora, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I just think it’s better if…”
“If you feel I’m unsafe?” I interjected, my tone light but firm. “I’m not a damsel in distress, Rolan. I can handle a simple walk in the woods.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I know you can. But precautions…”
“Are only for people who need them,” I retorted playfully, though a small part of me appreciated his concern. “I’ll be fine. I promise. Just let me enjoy this.”
After a moment of deliberation, he relented. “Fine. But if you feel uneasy, come back immediately. And if you see anyone suspicious, don’t hesitate to call for the security guards.”
“Okay, Daddy,” I teased, waving him off as I stepped onto the forest path, leaving behind the warmth of the resort and the intensity of our earlier activities.
The trees towered over me, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze, as I inhaled the rich scent of pine. I felt invigorated by the solitude, by the freedom to roam without the weight of expectations.
As I walked deeper into the woods, I marveled at the beauty around me. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting golden rays through the branches, painting everything in hues of orange and red.
I closed my eyes, allowing the serenity of nature to wash over me. But the peace was short-lived.
“Pandora.”
I froze, my heart dropping into my stomach at the sound of my name. I turned slowly, dread curling in my chest.
There he stood, Derrick. My ex-mate, the man who had rejected me in front of the entire pack, his presence felt like a dark cloud looming over the sunny day.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice shaky with a mix of anger and disbelief. He had no place in my life anymore.
“I’ve been following you,” he answered, his voice too calm for my comfort. “I hoped you would come to your senses and return to me.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms defensively. “Return to you? You must be delusional. I have no interest in going back to that life.”
He stepped closer, and I felt a surge of alarm. “You belong to me, Pandora. You need to understand that.”
I shook my head, fighting the urge to step back. “No, I don’t. I’ve moved on. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
My mind flashed to Marilyn, the woman who had threatened my family and met her fate in the dungeon. I had faced real danger before, and Derrick’s presence was merely an echo of that pain.
His eyes narrowed, the desperation morphing into something darker. “If you don’t come back to me willingly, I’ll make you regret it,” he threatened, his voice low and chilling.
“Go to hell, Derrick,” I shot back, my heart racing. “You’re not scaring me anymore. I know what I want, and it’s not you.”
The certainty in my voice surprised me, but it was true. I knew who I wanted to spend my life with, and it wasn’t him.
“Why are you being so stubborn?” He asked me, his eyes filled with so much fury that I flinched.
I thought he was over me, I thought somehow we had managed to sort things out and moved on from the past into the present. It was a shock to me that Derrick still thought that there was a chance of anything ever happening between us again.
Not when I was in love with another man who turned out to be my second chance mate.
“You have Hermione, what else do you want from me?” I yelled at him.
“Just come with me, I don’t even mind that you have had a baby and are no longer as fresh as when you were mated to me.” He said shamelessly and I nearly laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.
He lunged forward, and instinct kicked in. I pushed him back with all my strength, my palms connecting with his chest, sending him stumbling. Without looking back, I turned and ran.
The forest blurred around me as I sprinted, branches clawing at my skin as I tore through the underbrush. My pulse thudded in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the forest.
I needed to get back to Rolan, to the safety of his arms. I could almost hear his voice, the way he’d warned me to be careful.
As I burst back into the clearing where the resort stood, I imagined the sight of Rolan waiting for me, with tension etched on his face, filled me with relief.
I skidded to a halt in front of a stone, gasping for breath, my heart racing from both fear and adrenaline. I was beginning to hallucinate but one thing I was sure of was that I had just spoken to Derrick.